Yarn conditioning processes and compositions therefor



I Patented Apr. 4, 1939 YARN CONDITIONING PROCESSES AND COMPOSITIONS THEREFOR Joseph B. Dickey and James B. Normington,

Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application November 26, 1937, Serial No. 176,699

18 Claims.

This invention relates to the conditioning of textile yarns and more particularly to the conditioning of filaments and yarns composed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, etc., to render them amenable to textile operations such as knittingand the like.

As is well known in the manufacture of yarns.

particularly those composed of or containing cellulose organic derivatives, it is necessary to treat the yarn in order to reduce the tendency toward breakageof the individual filaments or fibers when they are subjected to various mechanical strains and to lubricate the yarn in order to facilitate handling in such operations as spinhing, twisting, winding and reeling. In addition, it is necessary to treat yarn to adapt it for use as, warp,or filling or for the manufacture of varioustypes of knitted fabrics. In knitting, it is particularly important that the yarn be soft and pliable in order that it may conform readily to the contour of the needles and thus produce a closely knit fabric free from such defects as "stitch distortion, "pin holes, laddering, and

the like.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ softening agents such as polyhydric alcohols and similar agents as ingredients of yarn conditioning or lubricating formulas, generally in connection with mineral, animal or vegetableoils. 'It has been found, however, that most of the known softening agents and the various formulas containing them have certain drawbacks, one of the most serious of which is high vapor pressure, and in some cases too drastic a solvent action on the yarn. Many of such agents possess slight or insufiicient solvent power for the lubricants with which they are used, and it is ac- 40 cordingly necessary to employ blending agents or emulsifying agents in order to obtain operable yarn treating formulas. In addition, many of the known softening and lubricating agents are insufficiently soluble in water to permit satis spinning s olution itself.

factory removal by aqueous scour baths.

This invention has as its principal object to provide an entirely new class of yarn conditioning agents which are particularly adapted for the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose and capable of lubricating, softening and rendering such yarns more amenable to knitting and other textile operations. A further and specific object is to provide a class of conditioning agents which augment or assist the lubricating action of various tile operations where complicated designs or stitches are employed. Another object is to provide an improved type of yarn which is especially amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

These objects are accomplished by the following invention which, in its broader aspects, comprises ,the discovery that derivatives of tetrahydrofuran having the general formula:

CH2 CH2 H: H-CHa-OH car- 0H:

El H-CH:OC-R

o where R is an alkyl or aryl group which may be substituted with'other groups including OH, OCHs, OC2H4-OC2H5, etc., may be used as yarn conditioning agents and particularly as softening agents,.with or without the addition of animal, mineral, or vegetable oils, in the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose. We have found that these compounds have a slight solvent and/or softening action on cellulose organic derivative yarns which renders such yarns. soft and pliable without at the same time having too drastic a solvent action thereon.

In accordance with the invention these compounds may be applied directly to the yarn during or after spinning, or may be added to the We have found that these compounds have exceptional solvent powers whichenable them to dissolve mineral oils and blown and unblown, drying and'semi-drying vegetable and mineral oils and accordingly they may be, and preferably are, employed as ingredicuts of yarn conditioning or lubricating formulas in conjunction with agents which function wholly or partially as lubricants.

In the following examples and description we have set forth several of the preferred emboditypical applications of the invention are set forth:

Example I.Yarn designed for knitting and composed of celluloseacetate is treated by applying thereto tetrahydrofurfuryl acetate by means of an applicator roll. The amount of the conditioning liquid may run from 4 to 25% by weight of the untreated yarn. If the yarn isintended for weaving the same procedure may be followed, except that the amount of conditioning agent added to the yarn is only about 1 to 5%.

Example II.-A conditioning liquid is made up by mixing the following ingredients in the indicated proportions:

Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl propionate 70 Olive oil 3Q This composition is applied to a cellulose acetate yarn intended for knitting in an amount representing 4 to 25% by weight of the untreated yarn. The filaments -or fibers treated as described above are quite soft and pliable and give excellentresults in textile operations, especially in knitting.

Other examples of yarn conditioning compositions which may be applied to various types of yarns, particularly cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and similar cellulose organic derivative yarns in accordance with our invention and which render such yarns soft and pliable and especially well adapted for various textile operations, particularly knitting, are the following.

Example III a Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl butyrate ...'60 Blown olive oil 40 Example IV Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl methoxy acetate '10 Light mineral oil 30 Example V Per cent Tetrahydrofurfui'yl lactate 30 Blown sperm oil 70 Example VI Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol 70 Sperm oil 30 Example VII Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl glycolate 20 Blown neats-foot oil 30 Sulfonated olive oil 20 White mineral oil 10 Oleic'ac 10 Ethanolamine 3 Water 7 Example VIII Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl salicylate 20 Sperm il 60 Laurel 20 Example IX Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohoL. 50 Blown sperm oil 30 Sulfonated castor oil. 20

Example X.-A 20% solution of cellulose acetate in acetone in which is incorporated 1 to 25% by weight of the cellulose acetate of .tetrahydrofurfuryl palmitate or oleate, is extruded through fine orifices into an evaporative atmosphere. The filaments thus produced are wound or twisted and wound. Yarns produced from filaments thus prepared are pliable and suitable for, knitting.

Example XI Per cent Water Gelatin 5 Tetrahydrofurfuryl glycolate"; 10 Sulfonated olive oil 5 Example XII Per cent Water 80 Water soluble cellulose ester 5 Tetrahydrofurfuryl lactate 1o Diethylene glycol 5 Example XIII Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl oleate; 30 Blown olive oil 70 Example XIV Per cent Tetrahyd'rofurfuryl stearate 70 Blown neats-foot oil 30 Example XV Percent Tetrahydrofu'rfuryl, laurate 30 Mineral oil 30 Blown sperm oil 40 Example XVI Per cent Tetrahydrofurfuryl oleate 30 Sulfonated castor oil 20 Sodium cetyl sulfate 5 Sodium sll'lfnfn 2 Water 2 Oleio acid l0-20. Olive oil 31-21 As will be apparent from the above examples and description, the conditioning agents of our invention may be applied by a wide variety of methods. For example, we may employ the agent as an ingredient of the spinning dope from which the filaments are formed, the amount of the agent so employed depending upon a number of factors, such as the particular cellulose derivative used in making the yarn, the solvent or solvent combination used in making up the spinning solution, and the degree of softness or pliability desired in the yarn, etc.

If the conditioning agent is to be applied to the yarn after spinning, this may be done by bringing the yarn in contact with a'wick, roll, or felt wet therewith or the liquid may be applied by im-- mersion, spray, or otherwise. The particular point at which the liquid is applied may vary. It may, for example, be-applied to the yarn inside or outside the spinning cabinet, between the guide and godet roll, between the godet or other roll or guide and the point of winding and/or twisting. In some cases, the liquid may even be applied to the yarn after winding onto cones, spools, bobbins, or the like or by the so-called bobbin to bobbin" method. In the case of staple fiber manufacture, the liquid may be applied to the yarn prior to, or after cutting into staple lengths.

or more by weight, based on the weight of the dry yarn, may be satisfactory, while if the yarn is intended for weaving, the amount may vary between about 1 and 5%.

Although lnthe above examples we have referred primarily to yarn treating compositions containing only the conditioning agent and oil, other ingredients such as solvents, non-solvents emulsifying agents, blending agents and the like may be added within the scope of our inventlon; Likewise, various dyes or other coloring matter may be included in case it is desired to permanently or fugitively tint or dye the material undergoing treatment.

Although we have found it convenient to illustrate our invention by reference to compositions containing specific percentages of the various ingredients, these percentages may vary widely depending upon the particular purpose for which the composition is intended. For example, if it is desired to control the solvent or softening action of the conditioning agent, the amount 01 the agent may be adjusted as, for example, by

reducing the amount of the agent and correspondingly increasing the amount of oil or other ingredient.

While we have described our invention with particular reference to the treatment of yarns composed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, the conditioning agents and formulas described herein are applicable to the conditioning of many other types of cellulose derivative yams such as those composed of or containing cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose and others, as well as to the conditioning of silk, wool, cotton, viscose and other natural or artificial materials.

The term yarn" as used herein and in the claims is to be understood as including a single filament, a plurality of filaments associated into the form of a thread, either of high or low twist, single or multiple threads associated or twisted together, composite threads composed of a mixture of natural and artificial filaments or a com-' posite thread formed by twisting together-individual strands of natural or artificial materials,

,, as well as cut staple fibers produced from natural and/or artificial filaments or threads and spun yarn produced from such staple fibers.

As indicated above, the yarn conditioning agents of our invention are exceptionally good solvents for a wide variety of mineral, blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying animal and vegetable oils such as cottonseed, olive, castor, neats-foot, sperm and other oils. This enables them to be used with any of such oils in making up a variety of yarn treating formulas of varying composition.

The yarn conditioning method and compositions of our invention possess many outstanding advantages. The fundamental and outstanding characteristic of the agents employed in accordance with the invention is their abllity to soften yarns, especially those composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate and render them soft andpliable and amenable to various textile operations, especially operations such as those involved in weaving and knitting where complicated designs or stitches are employed, without too drastic an action on the yarn material. Another outstanding characteristic of these compounds is their exceptional solvent power for a wide variety of mineral, animal yarn conditioning agents and method of our invention as herein described, one is enabled to obtain highly satisfactory results in the manufacture of yarns and woven fabrics and especially the production from these yarns of closely knit fabrics free from defects such as pin holes, stitch distortion, laddering and the like.

a What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The process of conditioning yarn to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the general formula:

CHr-CH: on, n-om-o 0-3 where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH, OCHa, OC:H4OC2H5 and the like may replace hydrogen.

2. The process of conditioning yarn composed where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH 00133, OC2H4-OC2H5 and the like may replace hydrogen.

3. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component an ester of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the general formula:

CHz-CH,

L/CH 0 :0C R

where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in

which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH, OCHa, OC2H4OC2H5 and the like may replace hydrogen. i

4. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, whichcomprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the general formula:

CHr-CH;

on, CH-OH:C.-R

where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH, OCH::, OC2H4-OC2H5 and the like i may replace hydrogen, and a textile lubricant.

furfuryl butyrate.

7. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component tetrahydrofurfuryl methoxy acetate.

8. A conditioning agent for rendering yarns more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like which comprises esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the general formula:

oar-on.

on, on-om-o CR where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of 0H, OCHa, OC2H4-OC2H5 and the like may replacehydrogen.

9. A conditioning agent for rendering textile yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and

the like which comprises esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the general formula:

where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH, OCH3, OC2H4OC2H5 and the like may replace hydrogen, and a textile lubricant.

10. A conditioning agent for rendering yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate more amenable to textile operations including knitting,

- weaving, spinning, and the like containing tetrahydrofurfuryl propionate.

'11. A conditioning agent for rendering textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like containing tetrahydrofurfuryl butyrate.

12. A conditioning agent for rendering textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like containing tetrahydrofurfuryl methoxy acetate.

1 3. Textile yarn amenable to textile operations I including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like impregnated with a lubricant containing esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the formula:

CHr-CH:

where'R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH, OCHa, OCzH4-OCzH5 and the likemay replace hydrogen.

14. Textile yarn composed .of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a conditioning agent comprising esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol having the general formula:

where R is an organic radical selected from. the

group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in

cohol having the general formula? where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl groups, in which substituents selected from the group consisting of OH, OCHs, OC2H4-OC2H5 and the like may replace hydrogen, and a'textile lubricant.

16. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising tetrahydrofurfuryl propionate.

17. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising tetrahydrofurfuryl butyrate.

18.Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising tetrahydrofurfuryl methoxyacetate.

l JOSEPH npIcKEY.

JAMES B. NORMINGTON.

eneral 

